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Saturday, September 4, 2010

Earthquake

There was a huge earthquake in a city south of where I live yesterday morning. Buildings collapsed and the city is without power or running water. They declared a state of emergency. Watching and listening to coverage of the quake has been both fascinating and horrifying. Just a few miles away, we're safe and sound, going about our business as if nothing happened.

Yet, funds have been set up already where you can donate to the victims, and money is flowing in.

Millions of people in Pakistan have had their lives devastated, their homes destroyed and their communities fractured by the floods, and people have not been donating to charities to help them.

I think this is wrong. The majority of people in quake stricken Christchurch will have insurance, and those who don't will no doubt get some kind of government hand out to help them out. The people in Pakistan have nothing, and their government can't offer them anything. So why is no one donating money to them?

This kind of thing angers me. I'm not saying that the people of Christchurch don't deserve sympathy or support - they do - but the people of Pakistan need it too. And just because they are Muslim, or have brown skin, or whatever other reason people are choosing for not donating money, doesn't mean they need our support less. If anything, they need it more.

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About Me

Author of An Unstill Life and STUMPED (releasing 15 December 2017) I am a writer, marketing executive for a national film agency, film reviewer and mother to two boys. As you can imagine, with all that going on, I don't sleep much.